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Animal and plant or vegetable foods are the two major protein sources.
Animal protein foods include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs and are said to be of high biological value.
That is, they contain all nine essential amino acids that can not be synthesized in the body
(histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine).
Plant protein sources, although good for certain essential amino acids, do not always offer all nine essential amino acids in a single given food.
For example, legumes lack methionine, while grains lack lysine.
Here are some combinations of plant proteins that will provide you with all of the amino acids you need:
- Grains plus legumes. Try black beans and rice.
- Nuts and seeds plus legumes. Lentil soup with a serving of almonds on the side.
- Corn plus legumes. Try pinto beans in a corn tortilla.
- Try whole grain pasta tossed with peas, almonds, and your favorite sauce.
- Whole wheat toast with peanut butter will give you a complete protein.
- Bean soup with whole grain crackers.
- Corn tortillas with refried beans and rice.
Vegetarians and vegans rely on plant proteins to get their amino acids. Soy contains all of the essential amino acids, but other plant protein sources are incomplete proteins, meaning that they don't provide all of the essential amino acids.
Vegans and vegetarians who eat a variety of plant proteins throughout the course of the day should get all of their amino acid needs met.
What is needed are complementary proteins, various protein food sources that, eaten together,
enable a person to meet the standards of a high biologic protein diet.
By Shereen Jegtvig, About.com
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board